After 112 Days without Electricity, Kids Erupt with Cheers When it Turns Back on
When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, what was left behind was what CNN referred to as “apocalyptic devastation.”
Flooding, uprooted trees, destroyed buildings and lost lives were just one small part of what happened.
Communication was crippled, and utilities, such as electricity, went down.
Months passed and the damage was so severe that people continued to struggle to recover from the destruction, despite the billions of dollars in aid and massive shipments of food and other resources that have been sent in to help.
For some, the situation was so bad that they needed to relocate to Florida and other parts of the United States in order to work or have basic life necessities.
Some families sent some members to the lower 48, while others remained behind on Puerto Rico.
But in the midst of these hardships, some good news has been developing across parts of Puerto Rico. One example may be found in a Facebook post from Academia Bautista de Puerto Nuevo.
In it, students and staff are captured on film cheering with raw exuberance and unadulterated joy when the power finally came back on. For 112 days, they had gone without.
For 112 days they had found a way to continue to go to the school, teaching and learning. For 112 days they focused not on their hardship, but on other things, such as education and play.
So powerful was their elation and gratitude when electricity was restored that many people commenting on the post remarked on how humbling a reminder it was.
For them, it was a lesson in being appreciative of the little things taken for granted each day.
The post had such a powerful impact, it garnered more than 1,700 reactions and over 388,000 views. It has even been featured in stories by various media outlets.
According to Inside Edition, as of December, more than 500,000 Puerto Ricans were going without power. Power crews from across the United States have been making their way to the island to help.
It will still be several months before power is fully restored to all parts of the island. The Army Corps of Engineers has estimated that for most parts of the island power will be restored by March 2018.
In the meantime, the people of Puerto Rico will continue to do what they have been, which is to demonstrate to the world their incredible determination and resilience.
They will keep taking each day as it comes, making do and reaching out to help one another.
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